Have the new arrivals strengthened the squad?

Okay so Mark Bunn might not be at the level of Shay Given but the high-earning veteran couldn’t go on forever so letting him go and freeing up cash to spend elsewhere was the right thing to do.

Ron Vlaar decided against extending his contract but has been replaced with a number quality performers. Micah Richards can play at centre-half or right-back and Joleon Lescott brings much-needed experience. Whether 22-year-old Tiago Ilori will improve the side remains to be seen but Jordan Amavi finally looks to have solved the left-back problems that have stretched on for far too long.

Andrew Surman of Bournemouth and Jordan Veretout of Aston Villa

In midfield Villa have recruited Idrissa Gana Gueye and Jordan Veretout to replace Fabian Delph and Tom Cleverley. The now-departed English duo had bags of energy and were likely to be sorely missed, but Gana’s arrival has helped offset that loss somewhat. When Carles Gil hits top form he will be like a new signing, too.

The tough nut to crack is finding a replacement for Christian Benteke. He was a one-in-two striker for the claret and blues and his presence had opposing teams running scared. So far Jordan Ayew has looked off the pace, Gabby Agbonlahor is still struggling for goals, Libor Kozak needs to build up his confidence after a long spell out injured and Rudy Gestede hasn’t had the service to build on his debut goal.

Is this a squad that can stay together for a number of years?

Yes. Sherwood has recruited a number of young players including Amavi, Ilori, Veretout and Adama Troare. None of them have played in the Premier League before, but between them they have experienced of the French and Spanish leagues.

Crucially they have been tied down to long-term contracts and if they were to move on in the future, Villa should receive more money back than they originally splashed out. Contract issues will not be a problem for a number of years, however Barcelona do have a repurchase option on Adama should they wish to buy him back during specific periods of the first three years of his stay.

Does this squad include more foreign players and how many homegrown players are in it?

A homegrown player is defined as: a player who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).

Now for the numbers...

Villa have 11 homegrown players in their squad this season compared to 16 last term. With the departures of Baker, Bent, Cleverley, Given, Herd, Lowton, Senderos, Siegrist and Weimann, the numbers were always going to be down. But Villa are well ahead as the minimum they have to name is eight. Usually around half of the starting XI are from the home nations.

Average age?

While Villa’s recruitment team have pledged to build a side for the future this summer, the average age of the 25-man squad is almost identical to last year.

Currently it stands just under 26-and-a-half years, the same as at this point 12 months ago. In September 2014, the combined age for the first half of 2014/15 was 662 and that has decreased by just one year this time around. What’s different is the average age of Sherwood’s strongest eleven, selected by none other than myself. I make it 24, compared to Paul Lambert’s most popular XI which checked in around the 26 mark. The average age of this summer’s 12 new arrivals is 25.

Aston Villa's new signing Joleon Lescott poses with new club's shirt

Where will Villa finish this season?

I say 12th which will mark a huge improvement on last season. There will be games where the likes of Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott use their experience to grind out results that Villa might not have achieved last term. Jack Grealish and Adama will provide the spark to change games that should keep Villa ticking along nicely.

However this team will have its share of lows. When Christian Benteke might have saved them last term, the strikeforce this season could let them down. Amavi, Veretout, and Adama are going to make mistakes along the way. It’s all part of their learning curve. But Villa will have enough to be more comfortable this season.